1. Field of the Disclosed Embodiments
This disclosure relates to systems and methods for monitoring and aggregating performance of a plurality of independently-controlled access points and connections to a plurality of independently-owned access databases for confirming access to one or more of an access-controlled space, one or more access-controlled pieces of equipment and/or one or more access-controlled devices.
2. Related Art
World events have led to ever increasing vigilance in controlling access to spaces, equipment and/or access-controlled devices. This increased vigilance has led to large numbers of increasingly-sophisticated clearance procedures for authorizing such access. Some of these clearance procedures are locally implemented using in-house databases for providing individual access to one or more of a particular space, a particular piece of equipment, or a particular device. Increasingly, however, there is a need to share individual entity controlled databases to grant access to non-locally controlled spaces, equipment or devices. There are certain circumstances in which a more global access needs to be provided to a particular space, piece of equipment or device. In these circumstances, one entity may have immediate physical control over the particular space, piece of equipment or device, but individuals from one or more related entities may seek to be granted access, or control access by another, to the particular space piece of equipment or device.
Earlier security paradigms required that the one entity having immediate physical control over the particular space, piece of equipment or device would require that the other entities whose individuals desire to be granted access would provide clearance information to the controlling entity. In certain scenarios, this paradigm has become increasingly unworkable.
There are those who believe that there is no more pressing example of the requirement for enhanced vigilance than with respect to access to mass transportation and/or transit, particularly including access to airline transportation. As the requirements for vigilance in this regard have significantly increased in the years since the 9/11 attacks in the United States, a traveler knows that security checkpoints at airports have become increasingly sophisticated. Unfortunately, this sophistication, combined with legislated and/or administratively imposed security procedures, has led to tremendous bottlenecks at the security checkpoints. Additionally, this is precisely the type of scenario that does not lend itself to a controlling entity, for example an individual airport authority, collecting clearance data on all individual desiring to gain access to flights.
Here, against a heightened security backdrop balanced with some desire to reduce the level of inconvenience, and the frustration that is attendant in that inconvenience, increasing attention has been paid to involving an external clearinghouse in a process for pre-clearing certain individuals. Frequent travelers submit to limited background checks enabling them to gain priority clearance through, for example, the CLEAR® system. Available advertising for the system promises to allow individuals, once pre-registered, to clear security in less than five minutes. For registered individuals, access is provided to exclusive “CLEARlanes” at airport security checkpoints, generally allowing those individuals to skip the extensive security lines and to proceed straight to the security screening checkpoints. Nonetheless, once these individuals arrive at the security checkpoint, even having bypassed the lines, they remain subject to standard screening procedures.
Even the screening procedures, however, tend to be cumbersome for individuals including airline personnel and employees. All efforts have been made to accelerate procedures for these individuals. These efforts may provide a model for central clearing house controlled dispersed access to spaces, equipment and/or devices.